DESIGN + EDUCATION: MOULDING THE NEXT PREFAB GENERATION

PREFAB AND OFFSITE METHODOLOGIES REQUIRE A STEP CHANGE IN DESIGN THINKING. SO HOW IS THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARCHITECTS BEING TRAINED TO SEAMLESSLY INCORPORATE THIS INTO THEIR APPROACH? BEVERLEY JOHANSON PUT THIS QUESTION TO THE EDUCATION SECTOR.

“One of the things I like about educating architects in this area is that we are training a new generation of professionals; people with a combination of engineering, design and business skills who are very suited to solving problems in housing,” says Dr Matthew Aitchison, Associate Professor in Architecture at the University of Sydney, and head of the university’s Innovation in Applied Design Lab.

This year, for the first time, the University of Sydney taught a course in prefab design and disciplines.

“When an architect receives a straight design brief for a new building, to make a physical object, they need to decide rooms, size, use, relativity to one another, etc.”

“When they look at prefab housing, there are so many more considerations. There is the business model, how the building will be assembled, the logistics of moving it, the materials and how standardised or customised the materials are, and much more.”

“What we are trying to do is teach students that there’s a complex constellation of different areas and they are all connected. They need to come up with a range of solutions that respond to these different areas. It takes them outside their normal architecture role and they get to wear a developer hat, an engineering hat and even a user hat.”

“Housing is complex. Either you have to work with people in a variety of disciplines, or you need individuals who are knowledgeable across a wide range of areas.”

He says that young architects benefit from thinking about the complexities involved in prefab and their responses to the ideas and processes of prefab have been exciting.

“Prefab is not an end in itself. It only has value if it can get the results it needs to – if more people end up with well-designed, well-made houses than can currently get them.”

The course led some of the students in interesting directions. One group’s course work comprised a start-up that increased housing in low-density areas of Sydney. They intend this to become their business.

“What we are trying to do is teach students that there’s a complex constellation of different areas and they are all connected. They need to come up with a range of solutions that respond to these different areas. It takes them outside their normal architecture role and they get to wear a developer hat, an engineering hat and even a user hat.”Dr Matthew Aitchison – University of Sydney

Thirty-six students completed the intensive three-week course.

The industry this year received a much needed boost to education and a vote of confidence in its future with the establishment of the ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing.

The collaborative project involves a team of researchers from four Australian universities – the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, Curtin and Monash working with industry partners.

Dr Aitchison says that the $4 million research grant awarded by the Australian Research Council to establish a training centre over the next four years will unlock the enormous potential of Australia’s prefabricated housing industry and is a vote of confidence in the industry.

“The centre aims to secure Australia’s competitive advantage in manufacturing both locally and internationally. It poses enormous opportunity for export markets in prefabricated products and services, rebuilding the local job market in manufacturing, and making housing more affordable in this country,” he says.

He adds that the focus on prefabricated and modular housing reflects the growing global interest in transforming the construction industry towards a more industrialised, smart and sustainable manufacturing industry.

“The centre will be driven by marketplace and customer needs, and will identify innovation in sustainable materials, smart design for manufacturing, and efficient production methods,” he says.

Professor Priyan Mendis from the University of Melbourne has said that the ARC’s scope is broad, covering research into such areas as design, materials, heavy modules that incorporate content, high-rise building, flat-pack systems that “click” together on site and removal and recycling of modules.

In the industry, conferences are the primary vehicle for information exchange. The University of Sydney hosted the 2016 prefabAUS conference in October, which is the primary vehicle for information exchange in the industry. The theme for this year’s three-day event was “Delivering Next Generation Buildings” and featured some of the industry’s most highly regarded thought leaders from overseas and Australia.

Because of its frequent focus on sustainable design and environmentally sound principles, modular housing has been attracting a lot of media attention, educating potential clients and increasing awareness of the clean, contemporary and beautiful styles of housing available. Homeowners are seeing it as an efficient and attractive way to extend and the modular housing concept is particularly popular with people knocking down and rebuilding, particularly because of the time savings it offers.

The idea of a drab “kit home” has vanished and in its place are homes that combine a high energy rating with an aesthetic that is sleek, light and flexible, full of innovation, surprising materials and some of the most creative innovation in the building industry. And continuing innovation in design education looks set to see the sector evolve in interesting ways. ■